Draugûl is the name of a relatively new music project that has made an impact, entirely via an internet presence, on both the local and international metal scenes.

Instinctively, many will most likely associate the name with vampires, particularly Bram Stoker’s classic nocturnal creation Dracula. But, as Mark Azzopardi (alias Hellcommander Vargblod, also the man behind Draugûl) is rather keen to point out, it has nothing to do with bloodsucking creatures of the night at all.

“Draugûl is actually made up of two words in the language spoken by the Orcs in Mordor,” Azzopardi explains. “The word drau means ‘wolf’ and gul means ‘curse’. So basically it means ‘wolfsbane’ or ‘the curse of the wolf’.”

The Tolkien-inspired tracks are actually sung in the Mordor language, which was rather tasking

Those out there who are into The Lord of the Rings saga will surely have picked up that Azzopardi is well into Tolkien but, he insists, he is also inspired by other, more factual elements.

“I’m very interested in the story of Vlad the Impaler, who was the inspiration behind the Dracula legend,” he enthuses. “And I feel very inspired by Nordic history and Viking mythology too.”

All these topics have, in no small way, influenced the songs that feature on The Voyager, Draugûl’s debut album, which was released last March via German independent label Pesttanz Klangschmeide.

Despite this being Draugûl’s debut album, Azzopardi is no newcomer to the local scene. “I was a member of (black metal band) Martyrium for 12 years, and I’ve also been playing with X-Vandals for several years now.”

Way before playing with either band, Azzopardi says his first encounter with metal happened when he was just seven years old.

“My dad and uncle are big metal fans and I grew up with that music around me,” he reminisces. He says he’s dreamt of having his own band ever since, which perhaps explains why he picked up the guitar at the first available opportunity.

“I also picked up a basic knowledge of drums along the way, and I’m not shy to try other instruments either,” he admits, adding that it all came in handy when he decided to drop out of Martyrium in 2010 to focus on his solo project.

The idea for Draugûl had been on Azzopardi’s mind even while he was still in the band. “I was writing songs even then, but the style and especially the inspiration behind them, didn’t quite fit into what Martyrium was about, so I put them aside with the thought of using them for a separate project.”

That separate project eventually became Draugûl, wherein he proceeded to transform his fascination with Viking mythology and Tolkien’s literary creations into a metal-infused musical manifestation.

“The album features 10 tracks, most of which are inspired by Viking mythology,” he elaborates. “The Tolkien-inspired tracks are actually sung in the Mordor language,” he continues. “I must admit it was rather tasking to do, but now that it’s done, I’m very pleased with the outcome.”

There’s also one track, Kazikly Voyvoda, about Vlad the Impaler, suggesting that clearly, a great deal of research has gone into the writing of this album.

“Well, since I’ve always been very interested in the subjects in question, it was an enjoyable experience, but yes, it did require some in-depth reading.”

From a musical perspective, the album is essentially inclined towards Viking Metal with an epic touch, as Azzopardi puts it.

Crafted around solid melody lines, there are also measured references to black metal, even if these are seamlessly woven into the music without imposing too much on where it’s headed. This is no easy balance to achieve, given that Azzopardi sang, played and recorded everything on this record.

“The whole idea was always to do it all myself,” he confirms, although he also acknowledges the valuable tips about using his recording software he got from a couple of people, namely his cousin Alistair and Clayton Cini from local metal act Shadowborne.

“My wife Katia also sings on one track, but the rest is all my work.”

Home-made as it may be, The Voyager landed Azzopardi a record deal, despite the fact this album wasn’t even intended for public consumption. “That is quite true,” he laughs. “It was always something I wanted to do for myself, perhaps burn a few copies to give to my friends.”

Getting good feedback from his friends during the actual recording process, Azzopardi posted a couple of rough mixes on You Tube, which the people at Pesttanz Klangschmeide apparently came across and liked.

“They sent me an e-mail asking if I was interested in releasing the album with them,” he recalls. “It was too good a deal to refuse, and besides, the label is very well-connected, so a lot more people will get to hear the album this way.”

The response to the album has been very positive, with reviewers hailing both its genre-specific musical references as well as its subject matter.

“I was never expecting to release this album internationally to begin with, so having such encouraging feedback from renowned webzines is obviously a big bonus.”

It’s also been quite motivating, as Azzopardi admits he is already well into the next album.

“I’ve already written four new songs for the next record,” he reveals enthusiastically. “Unlike The Voyager, where each track tells a different story, the next album will have a more defined concept based on factual events rather than just mythology.”

He hints that it will most likely also involve more folk instruments too, but that “it will still be a metal album”.

Meanwhile, Azzopardi is relishing the aftermath of the album’s release, although he admits there are a few related matters to attend to.

“I’ve had a couple of requests to perform the album live in France and the UK, but since I did everything myself, I don’t actually have a band.” Admitting he initially wasn’t interested in a live set-up, he says he is now seriously contemplating putting together a band specifically to accommodate request for live performances, but “there’s nothing definite just yet. I’ll keep you posted”.

www.facebook.com/draugul

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